Last week, Brooklyn’s very own Let’s Play House―the party production and promotion company as well as record label owned by Anthem‘s very own senior editor Nik Mercer and DJ/producer Jacques Renault―teamed up with Satan’s Helpers to put on a massive warehouse bash at 285 Kent Ave., one of the preeminent venues for such late-night debauchery.

The event featured Renault spinning alongside NYC mainstay Veronica Vasicka as well as a very special live house music performance by Steve Summers.

Joel Fernando produced an excellent film to document what exactly went down and we’re now debuting it here for all of you to witness (or relive if you were one of the lucky several hundred who showed up). Keep an eye out for more LPH and Satan’s Helpers events if you haven’t already as they’re not to be missed!

To see more of Robin Laananen’s work visit her Web site.

You have the shortest artist statement we’ve yet seen: “People don’t want to die, and they want to have sex.” Can you expound on how this influences your work?

I think almost all art is about looking at death and trying to defy it somehow. Having sex is a way of defying death. I make work about these things because they are what interests me. I wonder about how I will die. As for sex, it is such a rich topic because so many people practice it in so many different ways that it lends itself to endless depictions. How is it that someone gets off watching a woman in a clown suit pop a balloon? That is just fantastic.

You currently live in Syracuse, NY, which is not known as a hot-spot in the art world, and have been noted as saying that you prefer to be away from the galleries and the critics and the scene—to just put your head down and make work. Yet you’ve come up through the art world establishment, with a BFA in painting and MFA in studio arts, and a bit of time teaching after grad school. What made you step off the tracks of “The Academy” program?

Well, for undergrad, I went to school because I didn’t want to get a real job, and it just seemed that art was the easiest thing to do. In Catholic school I had little exposure to art class beyond crafts which were more of a follow the steps and get a papier mache martyr or something. My freshman year in college, there was a humanities requirement and I took a drawing class and liked it. I was terrible at it. Having my work hang for critique and it being among the worst in the class was humiliating. So I practiced, and I got better at it—it was kind of nice, so I stuck with it. Then when it came to grad school, I was working construction and had a friend who went to UCSB, and she said that they paid for everything and gave you studio space. So I applied and went for two years and sure enough, they paid for everything. This was when California had money and school was cheap. I mean it was free for two years. It was fantastic. What I found was that most schools offer you a template—you get your MFA, then you go shopping for galleries, and then you do a couple residencies, and then you get a tenure track teaching job… I don’t know, I just felt like being in school I was making the worst work. I mean, it was cowardice on my own part really. So I quit teaching and took time to figure out what I wanted to make—regardless of an audience and regardless of what anyone thinks about it. And for a couple years, nobody liked any of it. It was pretty bad.

I worry about academic training—and I saw this in myself and in a lot of other people—before they’ve even started making the work, they’ve planned out what they’re going to say about it. They’ve already planned out how to talk about it, and who to present it to, and what audience may or may not like it, before it’s even made. So you have this really calculated work, that feels really clever and smart, but there’s no soul in it, no guts, no mystery. Sometimes it is hard not being around other artists and talking about work but the upside is that it is a little easier to get inside my own head and figure out what I want to make.

Can you explain a bit about your manner of working and your creative process, in terms of generating ideas and producing work.

I work every day even if I have no reason to. I make whatever I feel I am interested in even if it just sits in a box in the attic when I am done. I wish I knew how things are going to turn out but I don’t and so I just make it and evaluate it later. About twice a year I get an image in my head and it is done, it requires no sketching or color tests it is just done. The rest of the time I just work things out in my sketchbook and if I like what I see perhaps it becomes a painting or a wood-carving or a booklet but most of the time my ideas become nothing. I try and ask myself what I want to see made. It is hard to figure out what I want to see when I am influenced by so many sources. Sometimes I make something thinking it is my own only to finish and realize that I just ripped off Courbet.

You did some work a few years ago that ran afoul of some copyright issues. What happened?

I had bought a stack of comics at a garage sale, and the main character in this one is supposed to be a wholesome American teenager but he is always two-timing his girlfriend, making fun of fat girls, defying well-meaning adults or picking on the only black kid in town. You know, this guys’ a total asshole. Everybody in this comic comes off as a shallow asshole, yet this is supposedly the American ideal. I wasn’t trying to get into this whole commentary about society; I just thought this guy’s a dick and this whole comic is basically about this guy getting his rocks off, so why not let him finish, let him do it. So I used the comics as starting points for new collages in which all the characters fuck and kill each other.

I had a show in San Francisco with my wife at the Evergold Gallery. The show went up and the show came down—no problems. And then I did a show of similar work in Chicago a couple months later, and because the title of the show contained the name of one of the characters from this comic book, the company found out about it. I discovered that companies hire people who’s entire job it is to do Google searches on key words involving their characters and their copyright property. So I got a threatening letter that said I had to take down the show immediately and send them all the work and any money that I received as payment for the work. At first I thought it was really funny. Then I talked to a couple lawyers and it was less so. I was told I had a case here and I wouldn’t lose, but it would take three to five years to settle and a minimum of $30,000.00, which I might be able to recoup if I win. I had just done this work because it was fun at the time, but if this thing ever went to court, I’d become the guy who drew boners on comics and got sued for it. So I just let it go. I blacked out the images that are on my website and left it at that. I made such a small amount of money off those drawings that I couldn’t believe they would come after me. Ultimately, I think they just wanted to send a scary letter and it worked.

What is your view on the use of pop culture and commercial images in contemporary art?

Setting aside the legal question. I think it is unethical to force people to digest all the images that they encounter everyday and not let them use them. We have no control over many of the things we are forced to look at. One way to understand and feel like you have a better understanding of your environment is to use those images in your own life in whatever way you choose. To force people to look at all the ads and other images and then tell them that they have no right to use them is unethical.

What’s on your schedule for 2012?

I have a small show in London at Galleries Goldstein in a few months. Beyond that, all my energy will be devoted to racquetball and becoming a better husband.

For more information on Mark Mulroney check out his Web site.

Roskam’s robust directing chops are no less impressive here, especially considering that this marks the director’s feature debut. His rise to fame on the international film circuit will no doubt be meteoric following all the commotion. As for Schoenaerts, he’s set to headline Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone—the acclaimed director’s follow-up to A Prophet—co-starring Marion Cottilard.

Bullhead opens in New York, Los Angeles and Austin on February 17.

Is that cough syrup? Are you fighting off a cold?

Matthias Schoenaerts: We’re coming from a place where it’s -15 degrees.

So it feels like summer here.

MS: It really does feel like that. It’s summertime.

Congratulations on everything that’s happened. Bullhead is now up for an Academy Award, which is an incredible feat, especially for your debut feature as a director. You made four shorts prior to this. Are those very similar, thematically and/or tonally, to Bullhead?

Michael Roskam: I think all four of them are good samples or a preview of my voice as a filmmaker. It’s all about developing your voice. It’s about finding that voice through trial and error. It’s about getting in touch with your cinematic views and learning how to get the audience to feel something you want them to feel. You can’t do that by sitting on your couch and thinking about what kind of director you would like to be. You only learn by making movies. If you blend those four shorts, you come close to what Bullhead is.

MS: But none of those are as dark as Bullhead. They have the same themes like loyalty, friendship, destiny and revenge.

MR: Bullhead is much more mature. The material is much more intelligent, maybe.

MS: I should say that. You shouldn’t have to say that about your own work.

MR: [Laughs] Bullhead is a little bit more intelligent than the other ones. Short films are always a little bit more anecdotal. Creating real metaphors with short films is difficult. I was never able to do that. I needed a feature film to feel complete in my storytelling. I love making shorts, but I have too much of an epic soul I think.

Are you particularly drawn towards dark subject matter or is that not important?

MR: I would be open to doing dark comedies. I wouldn’t mind that. We go through so many different emotions every day. Sometimes we’re happy and sometimes we’re sad. For me, the value of every emotion has to be cherished and taken care of. Some directors will take care of your happiness, and you’re desire for humor and comedy. Other directors will feed the opposite such as fear and other dark thoughts. Facing the darkness is just part of life. I personally feel more comfortable tackling dark matters. I don’t want to scare the audience, but I want to communicate this idea that the dark coexists with the light. Bullhead seems like it has a sad ending on paper, but I do believe now that—viewers’ reactions have confirmed this—there’s a glorifying element where you feel touched and emotional about what ultimately becomes of Jacky. Even in sadness and darkness, you can find something beautiful and real.

What was the germ of an idea that you started with?

MR: I definitely started with the themes I knew I wanted to convey. On the other hand, I wanted to make a film noir. I love gangster movies and wanted to make one myself. What you need is a good crime scene and a good tragedy. The hormone mafia really exists in Belgium. In the ‘90s, they killed a veterinary inspector—he was a good guy—and a lot of his colleagues were part of the scandal and the illegal trade of everything. His death was a result of that. When the hormone mafia was exposed to the authorities and the public, we woke up realizing that some of our farmers were gangsters. It’s a very exotic and original idea that you can’t invent, so I decided to use it. I could suddenly implement the themes I love in American movies to this very authentic and local story.

At what point did Matthias enter the picture?

MS: We met seven years before this. We had shot a short film together. We really enjoyed working together and Michael asked me if I might be interested in being in his first feature. I was completely blown away by the basic idea for the movie. From then on, we met on a regular basis and fantasized about the character. We didn’t immediately settle on it being film noir because we explored so many different possibilities within this universe with this character. We even thought that it could work as a black comedy. Ultimately, we realized that the existential tragedy of the main character was probably the most interesting thing to explore because it’s such a touching story. What I like about Michael is that he values the intimacy of an actor’s process. It’s not like we shared every little detail about this character because there’s always the danger that you’ll corner yourself into executing a fixed idea, convinced of the fact that that’s the right way to do it. That can suffocate and really kill creativity sometimes. That makes it not fun. Cinema should be treated like a living art form and we should be able to surprise each other on set to create genuine, unplanned moments. I have enormous confidence in Michael as a director and he has a lot of confidence in me. It’s a very generous exchange of creativity between us.

You gained 60 pounds of muscle for this role. Can you talk about undergoing this physical transformation?

MS: A year and a half before I started shooting, Michael called me and said there was money to finally do this. I had already been working out for many years, just to have a little starting point because I used to be a really skinny dude. When he gave me a start date, I decided that putting on the muscle was my main focus.

I didn’t recognize you at all at the screening last night. It was only later that I realized you were in My Queen Karo, which I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival two years ago.

MS: Yeah! [Laughs] It was crazy. I became really obsessive about working out when I decided to make it happen.

What were some of the unforeseen challenges that you encountered while making this movie?

MR: Some days were better than others, but you just try to prepare as much as you can before the shoot so you’re left with less margins of error. There were certain days during the shoot when I thought I would never put a scene in the final movie. But you never know for certain, so you just shoot it anyway. I think that’s one of the things that surprised me. Everyone’s working so hard to get something that you’re pretty sure you won’t use, so you just pretend like it’s important. [Laughs] The technical issues were never surprising because you have to expect that when you’re making a movie. That’s just part of the experience.

Did a lot of footage end up on the cutting room floor?

MR: When we assembled the first edit, it was 2 hours and 50 minutes long. We deleted 45 minutes of material. We shortened 20-minute scenes and condensed them to get at the core essence of those scenes. I learned a lot from that experience. My producer at the time and I had discussions during the shoot about this. She would say, ‘Your movie is going to be really long, you know that right? You’re not allowed to make a movie that’s 2 hours and 50 minutes.’ I told her I could get rid of 50 minutes and she’d say, ‘Then why are we shooting for these additional 50 minutes of footage?’ [Laughs] I said, “I don’t know which 50 minutes I will end up cutting!” She’d reply, ‘Why don’t you know?’ and I would answer, “Because I don’t know!” [Laughs] We only had 35 days to shoot, so we had to really prepare a lot. Everyone gave their 200% to this movie. It was such a pleasure working with the crew.

I don’t know much about the film industry in Belgium. How different or similar would you say it is compared to the American film industry, or anywhere else for that matter?

The most obvious difference is the fact that we’re a far smaller territory. If you make a movie in Belgium and 0.1% of the population goes to see your movie, you still won’t get your money back. In the same scenario in the States, you will get your money back because the cost of the movie ends up being almost the same as the amount you make. That’s why Belgian movies need support from the government for funding. Otherwise, only extreme, commercial films will get made. There would be no independent art house cinema in Belgium. It’s very similar to the film industries in Denmark and Holland—small territories are pretty much the same. At the same time, the level of professionalism and production level is being heightened exponentially in Belgium. The industry is always influenced by how many people they think are going to watch a certain product—that always influences the production process.

We sat down with frontman Ådne Meisfjord to chat about what they’ve been up to over the past half-decade, the Norwegian scene, their roots, and more! Read on for the full Q&A…

So, it’s been five years or so since the first record and this new one. What happened during that time?

Well, the thing was that, after the first record, we toured quite a lot for a couple of years. Being on tour in a band―it’s an intense experience. When we got back to Oslo and tried to start working on another album, the vibe wasn’t really there and we were kind of sick of each other. So we decided to do some different stuff for a while and agreed to pick up 120 Days when it felt right again. I played with Serena-Maneesh. After a while, I guess we started missing playing together and started rehearsing again and we decided to do it… and start working on the second album.

What were you missing about 120 Days that you did have in the other projects?

We never thought that we gave up on the band and always knew there was music left within that constellation of people. It wasn’t really a conscious decision of getting back together… or even taking a break. It just kind of gradually happened.

One of the things I learned recently was that you’ve been around since 2001.

I don’t think a lot of people were aware of us back then. That was the very beginning.

Okay, but, still, it was the four of you and you went by what name?

We were called the Beautiful People.

Tell me a little about how you all met and what the genesis of that all was.

We all came from a small town on the northwest coast of Norway―it’s called Kristiansund. We met in school and Kristiansund is that kind of place where [meeting like-minded people] who’re into music outside of the mainstream is [sort of rare]. And when you meet those people, you form pretty intense relationships with them… you feel like the group against everyone else.

In the beginning, [we made the band out of] the despair of living in a small town in Norway with really nothing happening. The one thing we all really liked was playing in a band. So, when we finished school, we all moved to Oslo, which is when it all really started happening. We got introduced to more music and more people and felt like we maybe weren’t all that weird for liking, say, the Velvet Underground.

I guess that’s part of the joy of moving to the big city. Since you brought up Oslo, though, I wanted to ask about the scene over there. There’re a good number of bands and record labels that we as Americans are aware of, but I’ve never gotten a good sense of what the scene is like there.

I think 120 Days is a bit in-between “cliques.” We have ties to the Oslo indie scene like Serena-Maneesh, but [it’s not just that]. The big things in Oslo are, like, the indie rock stuff and the space disco, and I guess we have a bit of both. We’ve got that electronic rock feel, but there’s also a disco thing there, too. When it comes to the scene in Oslo, I’d say there’re a few very interesting bands and producers around, but it’s a small city, after all―there’re less than a million people living here. We all get along. If you’ve lived here for a while and are in a band… everyone knows everyone!

I’m a huge fan of all the Smalltown Supersound stuff and was curious as to how you hooked up with them and Joakim Haugland.

I guess it was through people we knew. He had heard the Beautiful People EPs and was curious [about us]. This was around the time when the Smalltown Supersound label went from being more of an art scene noise and jazz label to more… like, disco and Lindstrøm and diskJokke and the rest of the stuff they’re putting out now. It was a time of change.

And then Smalltown released the first album. Are they putting out this one?

No, the second one’s not coming out with them [but on Voices of Wonder]. It probably has a little bit to do with the fact that we waited fucking five or six years between albums. We might’ve pissed off at least some of the people we worked with if not all of them. I completely understand that, but, at the same time, you can’t really think about that when you’re making music. There’s music everywhere and if you’re going to put out an album, it should be something that you think is really good.

Yeah, and, I mean, oftentimes, especially with bands that take a break―even a little bit of a break, like two years―people think it’s weird. These days, I see a lot of people just constantly working on music and then shopping records around as they come since there isn’t that dependable anymore on either side.

I guess it’s all part of the crazy music industry times we’re living in. No one really knows what’s going on. So I try as best I can to just focus on making good music and the rest I take as a bonus.

I don’t want to talk too much about labels, but while I’m on the topic, how did you connect with Vice?

One of the guys at Vice had been given one of the Beautiful People EPs and, one day, this email came to our inbox saying, like, Hey―we’re from Vice and we’re thinking about signing you. They were on it long before anyone else in Norway was wanting to put out a 120 Days album. We got to [the American market] in a roundabout way―it wasn’t like we were big in Norway and then we got picked up in the States.

So, in terms of your songwriting and production, how do you guys actually write your songs and then record them in the studio? What’s the process?

It’s always been really important to us to have an open mind [when it comes to the process]. We’re not the kind of band that rehearses our songs and then we go into the studio and then we play our parts and we’re done; there’s always lots of experimentation and testing out of new ideas. In the beginning, we fumble around in the darkness and build around whatever catches out interest. It’s an ongoing experiment, making an album… it’s not like we ever really know where we’re going. I think the only thing we’ve ever been sure of is that we never wanted to be sure of anything before we started working. The process of writing a song is the same as the process of recording a song.

Do you guys have musical backgrounds or did you just pick it all up over the years?

Like I said, when we were living in Kristiansund, the four of us were part of a very small group of people who were into music outside of the mainstream and that’s what [originally brought us together]. So we kind of learned how to play our instruments by doing it in the band. Because of that we have a pretty special connection when it comes to musical understanding together―we don’t need to debate and discuss everything because we’ve been through this journey together.

There’s a lot of similarities between the first album and II, but there are also a lot of differences… you’ve sort of enhanced the dance elements and clearly started playing around with more instruments and equipment. What do you think has changed?

There’s less guitars on the second album. It’s been five years so it’d be even stranger if it was exactly the same, but, yeah, the biggest difference, I’d say, is that we embraced technology with this one. The first one was recorded in an old school rock fashion and to tape―there was no MIDI synchronization and very little computer editing. This time, though, we really embraced [technology] and used a lot of sequencing and samples and stuff like that. And, because of that, it’s became more electronic and club-oriented.

Where was this one recorded

A bunch of different places, actually. Some of the sessions were in our own studio… then we did some of the sketches in more expensive studios… then, like, the intro for “Lucid Dreams” was recorded in my living room using my laptop microphone. There’s everything from that very lo-fi [aesthetic] to the extreme, million-dollar-microphone studio in there. [Laughs]

The first thing that came out with this record was the Modular Club Mod 12” release of “Osaka.” That was a bit of surprise to me because I wouldn’t’ve associated you with Modular and didn’t expect you to drop a dance single to basically announce the album. Tell me a bit about that!

I hate to be boring, but it’s pretty much the same story [as the others]. They heard the album and really liked that song. We thought it would be cool to come back with something a bit different after being gone for so long.

What sort of music are you influenced by?

It’s safe to say I have a very eclectic taste in music. I’m a big fan of old kraut rock from the 70s and you can hear that on both albums. In terms of new influences… that would be more like modern techno―the Detroit scene from the 80s and 90s. Underground Resistance is one of my ultimate favorite bands of all time. (Or whatever you want to call them―label, collective, band… ) But also, like, I’m into really avant-garde jazz from the 70s like Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders and Miles Davis fusion albums…

How do you approach writing lyrics as opposed to the instrumentals?

It’s very different, writing lyrics. Music is something that comes very naturally―if I sit down with a synthesizer or anything, it’ll come to me and work its way out by itself. With lyrics, it’s harder and more of a struggle. For this album, I’ve been influenced a lot by dreaming and the sense of unrealness. I like lyrics to not be complete gibberish but also to not be too understandable, either. Like when you wake up from a dream and you kind of remember it but you don’t and it drifts away…

I think I gotcha.

I’m intrigued by the unreleaness but realness of dreams.

Are you guys total nerds when it comes to equipment or do you have a spartan setup?

No, we’re kind of nerds when it comes to synthesizers. [Laughs] We’ve got a pretty fair collection of old analog beasts. We’ve got the Juno-60, the Korg MS-10, the Korg MS-20, the very rare Korg VC-10 Vocoder, and some old Roland SH-1000s―this probably means nothing to you!

No, no, no! It does! I’m glad to hear you have such an awesome spread!

With new synthesizers, I bought the new Moog Voyager, which is, like, a remake of the Minimoog, but with MIDI options and a digital interface.

Alright, so―what’re your plans for 2012?

Basically, we’ll be touring through Europe in the spring and then, hopefully, we’ll be able to get a U.S. tour going in the fall. Then we’ll see if we can get some new material going and not wait five years this time.

And the final question: What does your name mean?

It’s an old Norwegian name that means “eagle.”

Oh, wait, no―I meant 120 Days! But that’s cool, too, man!

[Laughs] No, okay, 120 Days is from the old Marquis de Sade novel, The 120 Days of Sodom. Most people think it’s from the Pasolini movie, but we hadn’t seen that when we named the band. I went through a phase of reading, like, classic pornography for a while and that one is, by far, like, the weirdest, craziest, evilest around. I kind of liked the name because “120 days” doesn’t mean anything good or bad unless you dig a little.

Do you identify with that? Like, you’re dark and weird underneath or something?

[Laughs] I don’t want to sound too pretentious, but I guess that was kind of the appeal. Like… we’re really, really, really bad with names. When we had to change names [from Beautiful People] it took over a year and we almost went with Sex Beat after the Gun Club song. I’m glad we ended up with 120 Days, which, I guess, was sort of a response to having a really in-your-face name―[ours] is crazier if you dig a bit beneath the surface.

The heroine in Johnson’s feature debut is a different breed—a National Guardswoman who didn’t see combat but instead worked in a warehouse. Her name is Kelli, mother of two, who comes home to find that daily routines seem more inane than ever before. Light-hearted it’s not—she also discovers that her once-devoted husband (Michael Shannon) had been having an affair with their neighbor during her absence. Cardellini’s mesmerizing performance here shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Return opens in New York and Los Angeles on February 10. It will be available on VOD and iTunes on February 28.

It’s great to finally speak with you. We had a photographer shoot your portrait at Cannes last year, but I was unfortunately absent.

Was that on the rooftop?

Yeah! On the rooftop with you and Liza [Johnson].

That was great!

How far along are you right now?

It’s gonna be any day now! I have crazy aches and pains, and I waddle around. It’s a totally new world I have to say.

Is this your first child?

Yeah.

Are you going to take a break from acting?

I definitely want to take some time off and be with my baby, and go through that experience. I love working, but it’ll afford my family some nice things. I’ll definitely go back. We’ll see what comes up, you know? That’s the wonderful—and hard—thing about this business because you’re always thinking about the next thing. Sometimes you think you’ll never work again and other times, you worry about going back to work too soon. We’ll see what happens! I have no idea how I’ll feel when I have my child. I have no idea how that will change me. I’m lucky to have been working for a long time now and I have a little bit saved away so I can spend some time away with my baby.

Freaks and Geeks was your rise to fame. How did that come to you?

I just went through the auditioning process. I loved the script. I was already a working actress at the time, but I hadn’t done anything that people were all that familiar with. I guess I was a “fresh face” when that show happened. When I was reading the script for the pilot, there were several other shows that I was actually up for that seemed to have a brighter future in the network vernacular. But I was more drawn to Paul’s [Feig] script. With pilot season, if you test for something and you end up getting it before another show you test for, that’s the show you’re contractually bound to. I was up for three different shows so I held out for Freaks and Geeks and I got that part, luckily. The other shows didn’t really make it.

Was E.R. your most recent gig on TV?

I actually had a guest spot on Person of Interest. When I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to do something before I couldn’t work anymore. I’m a big fan of Jim Caviezel and J.J. Abrams, so I did an episode of that for fun. I didn’t tell anyone that I was pregnant. [laughs]

How would you compare TV work to film work?

Being on a series for a long time is a very different thing than doing a film because it feels like you’re running a marathon. I remember hearing about my character having a sister three years after I started a show. All this time I had a sister and I had no idea. [laughs] It really does feel like a marathon whereas it’s a sprint with film. With movies, you get a beginning and an end, and you know the trajectory of your character. With TV, it’s much more open-ended.

If I was an actor on a TV series and it got cancelled prematurely, I would be devastated that my character doesn’t get some sort of closure.

That was one of the great things about Freaks and Geeks because we shot the last episode before they cancelled us.

Really?

Yeah! We shot the ending early on. I think that’s one of the coolest things that they accomplished on that show. We got the ending we wanted before the network told us to get out. [laughs]

What were your goals when you first started out and how have those goals changed looking back?

My goal when I first started out was to make a living doing something that I liked. I had never known anyone that had made it as an actor when I started out. I think you have to be at least a tiny bit crazy to be an actor because you have to go so far against the odds in order to make a living off of it. As you grow, change and have some success, your choices become different. The choices that I was able to make at the beginning of my career—when you have to get your foot in the door, but you don’t know anybody—are different than the ones you have as you grow as an actress where you get to orchestrate and modulate a broader career. You can fall off the path sometimes, but you try to work hard and keep on doing what you love. You keep trying to reinvent yourself and hopefully that works for your audience.

What attracted you to your role in Return?

I read the script and thought it was an interesting look at a returning soldier, especially told from a woman’s point of view. When I first met Liza, I thought she was incredibly special. She had a really interesting take on how she wanted to make the film. The way that the script was written, it was different than anything else I’d read before. There were descriptions of scenes and characters that don’t appear onscreen, but still informed me like how the way things smell, and how things feel on the hands and feet. Small details like that made me feel like I was reading a novel. The way how Liza described this woman’s life unraveling—not necessarily through flashbacks or one catastrophic event, but through all the small details of everyday life that can’t seem to be put back together—was really interesting to me. And that’s on top of the fact that the story tackles something that’s happening in our society that I didn’t know enough about. I felt compelled to educate myself and do more research.

The film touches on an important fact: it’s not so much about witnessing something so horrifically violent in war or having a limb blown off that leaves this permanent scar for soldiers. Going to war changes you no matter what.

I hope that comes across. I remember speaking to this one soldier who said, ‘I don’t think you can go over there and come back unchanged.’ That really resonated with me. Some people come back and they can readjust more easily than others, but some people have a really hard time readjusting. Everyone’s story is a little bit different, but I don’t see how being in a war zone wouldn’t change you.

I’m sure you met a lot of soldiers who wanted to go back after returning from Iraq as well.

Oh yeah, definitely! There are people who are happy to go back. There are people who are gratefully returning to do their duty.

Michael [Shannon] is known for playing these abrasive, unhinged characters, but he’s the more subdued one here opposite your dominant character.

He’s great at playing a normal guy! [laughs] He’s such a wonderful actor and a great guy. Michael is such a warm human being. I think he’s capable of doing anything and he was a lot of fun to play off of. He adds so much to my character’s back-story. When Michael came in, it made things so much easier for me. It was appropriately challenging as well. He’s really malleable and we could easily change things on the spot if we needed to. We didn’t have much rehearsal time, so we jumped right into it.

What was the atmosphere like on set?

It was one of my favorite experiences on any set because everyone got to know each other so well. The movie took a long time to put together. During that year and a half or so, Liza and I spent a lot of time talking about the character, doing research, traveling to the location where the film takes place, going to marine bases, talking to a psychologist to figure out what it’s like for returning soldiers, and shooting guns together—stuff that you don’t see in the film, but things that my character would know. We spent a lot of time together and formed this wonderful friendship. We shot everything really fast. It was long days and not a lot of frills. I didn’t have a trailer. I was changing in the car or in a Dunkin Donuts bathroom. [laughs] Nobody was on this project for the money. We were all there for the love of the project. That made everything so much easier because we had already established such a trust and a similarity in our approach. Have you spoken to Liza yet?

I actually haven’t.

Liza has this really beautiful confidence about her. It’s not egotistical or maniacal. She’s willing to explore all different kinds of things. She’s an incredible listener. She knows exactly what she wants and exactly how she wants to get it. She worked so close to our DP, who’s also a woman, and it was really interesting to be on set with a lot of women. Typically when you’re on a set, it’s 80 to 90 percent men. To have those numbers be more balanced, it was a special experience.

It’s brought up over and over again how there aren’t enough interesting roles for women to play. Where do you stand in that kind of debate?

I think there can be amazing roles for women. Historically, they’ve been fewer and far between. You always hope that changes. I’m obviously an advocate for women. There’s a lot more that can be accomplished, but I also think we’ve come a really long way. I think there are amazing roles for women out there. It’s a competitive field for actresses. I think there are fewer roles for women than men, but when the marketplace changes, the supply and demand will change.

When you choose roles, do you look at it from a career perspective?

Typically, I like to look at the project as a whole—what does it mean and who’s involved? In terms of choosing characters, I don’t really like to be stereotyped so I try to do as many different things as possible. If I envision someone else playing a role that I’m considering, I just want to jump off a bridge. That makes me think that I should be playing that role. I’m sort of at the mercy of what’s available to me and who will accept me. A lot of the time, you can plan a trajectory for your career, but you don’t get the kinds of materials you’re looking for. I’ve been very lucky to choose from a diverse group of characters throughout my career and play things outside of myself. To me, that has been the most exciting part about being an actress. There are many different reasons why I choose to take on certain things.

When you sign onto do a project that deals with important societal issues, that must add more pressure for everyone involved.

It made me want to do right. There’s no one way to do something perfectly, but I really wanted to honor the people who I’d spoken to, and the people we were trying to represent even if it’s a fictional story and it’s not based on one specific person. It’s something that’s actually happening and something that, if you’re not there, I don’t think you can truly understand. As an actress, from the outside looking in, I wanted so badly to be able to be as honest and respectful as possible.

Six Cups of Rebel is out tomorrow on Smalltown Supersound and to get everyone extra excited for the LP, we asked Lindstrøm to show us around his formidable home studio, the laboratory where all his spacey confections are crafted.

Flip through the photos above and read on for his commentary on what, exactly, you’re looking at in five of them.

3―What are these three keyboards? When did you get them? How often do you use them?

The small one on top is the Yamaha DX-100, famously used by Roger Troutman (Zapp) with his talk box … or did he use a Minimoog? Anyway, it´s a nice little FM thing that I just can’t seem to sell. [Laughs] Next one, in the middle, is the Hohner D6 clavinet, one of my all-time-favorite instruments. I got this one really cheap from a guy here in Norway―it’s one of my things that, in fact, is in very good shape. It even came with the original legs and a mint-condition plexiglass music-stand ! The big, black monster is a Hammond organ … I believe it’s an M-100, but I don´t really care―it doesn’t really sound very good, but, because of that, I love it! Especially those two reverb buttons on the right―they’re clearly malfunctioning. When I press both buttons at the same time, the whole organ starts to self-oscillate! And that’s probably the coolest thing with this piece of history. Funnily enough, I use the organ much more than any of the other two things. Actually, I tend to use the organ on a lot of what I’m working on, probably because of that self-oscillation defect. [Laughs]

4―What’s the keyboard in front of you? What are you working on here?

That’s just a regular MIDI keyboard. Nothing special, really.  It’s a white Axiom Pro 61.  It’s got some pretty good keys, and the kind of pitchbend/modulation wheels I prefer. Also, it’s got aftertouch, which is very important for me… I use this one for VST synths when working in Logic, my sequencer of choice.

5―What’s the story with this bizarre Jesus statue?

Well, a few years ago, my studio was filled to the brim with analog vintage synthesizers, drum machines, etc….  as well as flashing lights, neon junk from cheap stores in the neighborhood, and so on. But, one day, after realizing that I spent more time making sure that everything was working properly and maintaining all the old stuff, I just decided that I was going to throw out all the old stuff and get myself a new Mac and a simple MIDI keyboard again, just like as I used to work when I started making music in 2003 … anyway, the Jesus lamp is one of the few bits and pieces from my “old” studio that I decided to keep in my new studio. I don’t mind that my studio looks like an ordinary office space, but, nevertheless, it’s nice with a few items that doesn’t really fit in …

6―I love the Iowa tee… where’d you get it? Why?

As far as i remember, I got it backstage at the Pitchfork festival three years ago or something. There was this table full of really cool T-shirts and I was allowed to pick as many as I wanted. But, out of fear of being too greedy, I just picked the Iowa one; I really like yellow tees and I like rainbows. Anyway, when I showed it to my friends later the same day, they were asking me why I really really got an Iowa tee. I don´t know why―I’ve never been to Iowa, but it sounds like a really cool place to me. [Laughs]

7―Where’d the banjo come from!? And that awesome lamp?

I bought the banjo first time I was invited to play in New York, seven years ago, I guess. Together with Prins Thomas and Brennan Green, we went to Sam Ash or something. I never really managed to sit down and actually play this thing as it’s supposed to be played. But it’s cool.

We asked Melody to pick out some of her favorite shots and share the stories behind the subjects.

The below descriptions correspond with the photo gallery images in order.

Elks

The Elks Lodge is one of many iconic landmarks in Braddock and was the initial community center for Braddock. This was the original place where local members of the community could get together, hold meetings, and maintain the community camaraderie within Braddock. Elks has all the intentions of ones hometown diner, but feels more like a good friends kitchen.

Originally consisting solely of frontman and guitarist Nathan Williams, WAVVES recently inducted bassist Stephen Pope (former member in the band that accompanied the late, great Jay Reatard) as a permanent member. Pope sat down to answer our barrage of questions on life in the band.

BAND NAME: WAVVES

HOMETOWN: Nate’s from San Diego, I’m from Memphis

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN TWO WORDS: Future grunge

FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD HAUNT: The Royal Liquor store on the corner of Sunset and Lavetta

THREE BANDS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Dinosaur Jr., Smith Westerns, Metallica

GO-TO KARAOKE SONG (OR GUILTY PLEASURE SONG): Ginuwine’s “My Pony,” Blind Melon’s “No Rain,” Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (but they’re not guilty pleasures… just awesome songs to sing along to)

PERSON YOU MOST ADMIRE: Stephen Colbert

FAVORITE MUSICAL ERA: 70s

YOUR CHOICE VICE: Goth girls

MOST MEMORABLE SHOW YOU’VE PLAYED: When we played on the Weezer cruise in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

FAVORITE FOOD TO EAT ON THE ROAD: Pizza

SOMETHING THAT’S ALWAYS IN YOUR POCKET: A rubber edamame soy bean thing that Ben, the drummer for the Magic Kids, gave me.

FAVORITE BOARD GAME OR APP: Monopoly 100-percent, but you have to be gambling.

LYRIC YOU’RE PROUDEST OF: “You’re always crashing parties, you’re always crashing someone’s car, you’re always crashing at the new girl’s place… ”

LAST GREAT BOOK YOU READ (OR MOVIE YOU SAW): I dont know how to read, but the Muppets movie was awesome.

YOUR HOUSE IS BURNING DOWN AND YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO GRAB SOMETHING. WHAT ARE YOU TAKING WITH YOU?: My taxidermied boar’s head and my Pee-Wee Herman dolls.

But movies aside, Sundance is a singular experience that’s unique for everyone. There were simply too many memorable moments to count—catching up with Jake Johnson at the Stella Artois Cutting Room, a photo session with Chris Messina on Main Street, running into Jon Heder at the craft service table, making snow angels with Gina Rodriguez, hitting the slopes with Lil Jon, getting piss drunk at the Keep the Lights On afterparty and awkwardly stalking Ira Glass around the Bing Lounge—but we’ve somehow managed to isolate some special moments in the form of this beautiful video directed by one of Anthem‘s travel companions, Ryan Hooks. Until next year…